Mechanical fruit counter



Sept. 27, 1960 L S. H. ELLISON, JR

MECHANICAL FRUIT COUNTER Filed Feb. 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SAMUEL H. ELLISON, JR.

ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1960 s. H. ELLISON, JR 2,953,881

MECHANICAL FRUIT COUNTER Filed Feb. 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 4s 49 83 z; 63 as 44 43 43 45 93 o 0 0 0 H 32 s V \\J/ INVENTOR SAMUEL H- ELLISON, JR.

F'IE'I EI BY-W ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1960 s. H. ELLISON, JR

MECHANICAL mun comm-r212 Filed Feb. 14. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M vm mm V m. om 1 .M .m 11mm m uv Nm. Vm m .1 l. 8 WW Q NM NM mm mm w mm m Pm mm 6 1i Q 8 A I ll Q mm M mfi m g mw wm mm INVENTOR SAMUEL H. ELLISON, an.

BY qww ATTO RNEY United States Patent MECHANICAL FRUIT COUNTER Samuel H. Ellison, Jr., Lakeland, Fla., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 715,459

'14 Claims. (CI. 53-78) The present invention relates to apparatus for filling articles into containers, and more particularly to apparatus for automatically depositing a predetermined number of articles into each container.

In the packaging of articles, it is often desirable to fill a particular number of articles into each container, rather than a particular weight or volume of articles. One example of an industry in which the sale of articles by number is common practice is the citrus industry. Since it is customary for purchasers to buy the fruit in a particular number, it is obviously desirable that the packaging thereof be based upon number, rather than upon weight or volume.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for depositing an exact, predetermined number of articles into a container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to automatically count out a predetermined number of articles to be filled into a container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically depositing a given number of articles into each of a succession of containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide container filling apparatus adapted to automatically count out a given number of articles and deposit the latter into each of a succession of containers, and to automatically replace each filled container with an empty container in filling position.

Another object is to provide an efficient switch actuating and releasing mechanism for an article counting device.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of container filling apparatus incorporating the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrows 2--2 of Fig. 1, being partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of Fig. 1, being partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the lines 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figure l,

. a filling-apparatus is shown for depositing fruit, such as oranges, into containers. The apparatsu 10 comprises an inclined article conveyor in the form of a hopper 11, adapted to permit downward sliding or rolling of the oranges 12 carried thereby. The hopper 11 is of substantially rectangular cross section, and is formed of an inclined bottom wall 13 and opposed vertical side walls 14 and 15 (Fig. 3). The side walls have outwardly flared portions 16 and 17, respectively, at the feed end of the hopper, and the bottom wall is correspondingly widened at this area. The hopper is supported by two pairs of legs 18 and 19 (Fig. 1), bearing at their upper ends attachment bolts 20 and 21, respectively.

Patented Sept. 27, 1960 A conveyor belt 22, which is of conventional design and is arranged to be driven by a conventional electric motor drive, is positioned below the hopper 11, for carrying a succession of cartons or containers 23 to be filled with oranges from the hopper. The conveyor belt 22 is arranged to present the containers 23 one at a time below the lower, or discharge end of the hopper 11.

The discharge end of hopper 11 is formed with a downwardly stepped section 24. The section 24 is provided with three vertical separator plates 25 (Figs. 2 and 3), and is thereby divided intofour lanes 26, 27, 28 and 29 of approximately equal width. Mounted upon the side walls of the stepped hopper section 24 by means of bolts 30 and 31, respectively, are two opposed vertical side plates 32 and 33. The side plate 32 is spaced from the corresponding hopper side wall 14 by means of spacer tubes 34 disposed upon the bolts 30. The side plates 32 and 33 support therebetween mechanism for automatically counting the oranges which pass through the hopper section 24 and out into the carton 23 being filled, and for controlling the movement of conveyor belt 22.

The counting mechanism includes a transversely extending horizontal shaft 40 (Fig. 2) secured at its reduced threaded ends to the side plates 32 and 33 by means of nuts 41 and 42, respectively. The shaft 40 is positioned a short distance above the upper ends of the vertical separators 25. A second transverse shaft 43, positioned directly above shaft 40, is secured at its reduced threaded ends by means of nuts 44 and 45 to the side plates 32 and 33, respectively. Four fruit counting devices 46, 47, 48 and 49 (Fig. 2) are carried by the shafts 40 and '43, one counting device being located above each of the four lanes of the hopper section 24. Inasmuch as the four counting devices are identical in structure and operation, only the device 49 will be here specifically described.

The counting device 49 (Figs. 4 and 5) comprises a fruit counting member in the form of a star wheel 50 rotatably mounted upon the lower shaft 40. Star wheel 50 comprises four radially extending legs 51, each having i a concave recess 52 at its outer end, said legs being equally spaced about a hub 53. As the star wheel is rotated, each of the legs 51 in turn extends downwardly into the lane 29, as most clearly seen in Fig. 5. Fixed upon the left end of the hub 53 is a drive gear 54. A spacer collar 55 is secured to the shaft 40, between the hub 53 of star wheel 50 and the hub of the star wheel adjacent thereto. A collar 56 is secured to the shaft 40 adjacent each end thereof, for maintaining the assembly of star wheels in position.

Rotatably carried on the upper shaft 43 is a driven gear 57 in mesh with the drive gear 54. The hub 58 of the gear 57 bears against friction discs 59, mounted. on the shaft 43 in abutting relation with a sleeve 61 of a collar fixed to the shaft 43. The gear hub 58 and the friction discs 59 are maintained in tight contact by means of a compression spring 62 compressed between the gear 57 and a collar 63 secured to the shaft 43. The friction discs 59 serve to prevent overtravel of the gear 57 when the latter is rotated at high velocity.

In accordance with the present invention, the star wheel 50 is rotated one quarter of a revolution as each orange passes under the wheel. Accordingly, the large gear 57 is rotated until a pin 65 (Fig. 4), projecting laterally from the wheel, engages an actuator arm 66 of a microswitch 67 and moves the arm to a position wherein the normally open contacts of the switch are closed.- The contacts of switch 67 of the counting device 49 are in a series circuit with the contacts of the switches of the other counting devices 46, 47 and 48. When the contacts of all the switches have been closed by their associated counta,oss,sa1

ing the conveyor 22 which removes the filled container" 23 and positions another container under the hopper.

The microswitch 67 is mounted by bolts 68 on an upstanding wall 69a of a bracket 69 which is secured by capscrews 70 (Fig. 3) to two spaced parallel bars 71 and 72. The parallel bars 71 and 72 are supported in horizontal position between the side plates 32 and 33, being spaced to the rear of shaft 43, and substantially on a level with the latter (Fig. 4). The bars 71 and 72 have cylindrical ends which are slidable in openings in side plates 32 and 33.

As seen in Figure 4, when the pin 65 moves the switch actuator arm 66 to switch closing position, the arm 66 moves into contact with the lower surface of a flange 77 projecting laterally from the upstanding wall 69a of the bracket 69. Thus, when the star wheel 50 of counting device 49 has counted a predetermined number of oranges, as for example one quarter of the total number to be counted by the four devices, the engagement of the actuator arm 66 with the flange 77 prevents further rotation of the star wheel of device 49. A feature of the present machine is the provision of means for simultaneously releasing all four star wheels after each of the four wheels has counted its quota, and the conveyor 22 has removed the filled container from beneath the hopper.

This release mechanism comprises a transversely extending horizontal shaft 80 which is disposed approximately midway between the bars 71 and 72 and a short distance below the latter. The shaft 80 is secured to the side plates 32 and 33 by means of nuts disposed on the threaded ends of the shaft. This shaft serves to maintain the side plates in spaced apart position at their rearward ends. Adjacent the side plate 3 3, a solenoid 83 (Fig. 3) is mounted on a bracket 84 bolted at 85 and 86 to the parallel slide bars 71 and 72, respectively. A solenoid plunger 87 is arranged with its end 88 bearing against the inner surface of plate 33. When the solenoid 83 is energized, the plunger tends to move in the direction of plate 33. However, since movement thereof is prevented by the contact of the plunger end 88 with the plate, a reaction force results which causes the solenoid 83 to move away from the plate. The bracket 84 and slidable bars 71 and 72 are thus shifted in the di rection of the plate 32, the extent of the shifting being limited by the engagement of the bracket 84 with a head piece 89 on the plunger. It will be evident that this sliding movement of the bars 71 and 72 toward plate 32 efiects the release of all the pins 65 that are under the flanges 77 of the brackets 69. When the solenoid is deencrgized, two parallel tension springs 90 and 91, connected between the plate 33 and the bracket 69 closest thereto, shift the latter bracket to its original position, and consequently also return the bars 71 and 72, together with the solenoid support bracket 84 and all of the microswitch support brackets 69 to their original position. Two collars 92 and 93 are secured to the ends of bars 71 and 72, respectively, adjacent the plate 32, to stop the return movement of the bars when their original position has been reached.

It will be realized that a known number of oranges, calculable from the number of legs 51 on the respective star wheel 50 and the number of teeth on the respective gears 54 and 57, will pass through each of the four lanes of the hopper section 24 before said star wheel 50 and drive gear 54 will have been rotated a suilicient number of times to cause one complete rotation of the driven gear 57, and consequent closing of the respective microswitch 67 by pin 65 on the gear 57. The number of legs 51 and the number of gear teeth may, of course, be varied, depending upon the number of oranges desired to be filled into each carton 23.

In operating the apparatus of the invention, the articles to be counted and packed, such as the oranges 12, are fed into the upper end of the inclined hopper 11. As the articles pass through the stepped hopper section 24,

those in each lane cause the star wheel 50 in that lane to rotate, and the associated driven gear 57 is thereby rotated by means of the associated drive gear 54. The number of teeth on the respective gears 54 and 57 are so chosen, that when the desired number of articles have passed through any one lane, the associated gear 57 will have been rotated into the position shown in Fig. 4, with the pin 65 thereof having become pressed against the actuator arm 66 of the associated microswitch.

The microswitch 67 will thus be closed. At the same time, the arm 66 will become pressed against the flange 77 of the bracket 69, which then serves as a back stop for said arm. Further rotation of the gear 57 and, as a consequence, further passage of articles through the respective lane of hopper section 24 is prevented. The four microswitches 67 are connected in series, and when all of them have been closed, thus indicating that the total number of articles have been fed from all four lanes into the carton 23, an electric circuit (not shown) is completed to the prime mover (not shown) of the conveyor belt 22. As a result, the filled carton 23 is moved away from filling position, and an empty carton is advanced into position. The empty carton, upon coming into filling position, contacts a switch (not shown) which closes a circuit for momentarily energizing the solenoid 83. Consequently, the bars 71 and 72, together with all of the brackets 69, are momentarily shifted a shift distance to one side, thereby moving each bracket flange 77 and microswitch arm 66 out of the path of the corresponding pin '65, and permitting each pin 65 to become positioned above the associated arm 66. Each of I the counting devices is thus set in position to repeat the above described cycle of operation. The brackets 69 are then returned to their original position by the springs and 91.

Although the hopper section 24 has been shown as being divided into four lanes, each having an associated counting device, it will be realized that any number of lanes and counting devices might be provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having an outlet for discharging articles into containers, a container conveyor adapted to present containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, counting means having an article intercepting member disposed adjacent the discharge outlet and movable by articles passing therethrough for deterrnining the number of said articles, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said container conveyor, and means responsive to movement of said article intercepting member and adapted to close said switch means when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container being filled.

2. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having an outlet for discharging articles into containers, a container conveyor adapted to present containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, an article-counting mechanism having an article intercepting member adapted to be contacted and rotated by articles passing through the discharge outlet, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said container conveyor, and gear means mounted for rotation by said article intercepting member, said gear means being adapted to close said switch means after a predetermined amount of rotary movement.

3. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having an outlet for discharging articles into containers, a container conveyor adapted to present containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, an article intercepting member rotatably mounted adjacent the discharge outlet, a. plurality of radially extending legs on said article intercepting member, said legs being adapted to extend into the path of articles passing through the discharge outlet,

said legs when contacted by passing articles being adapted to cause rotation of said article-intercepting member, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation number of articles have passed into a container being 4. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having an outlet for discharging articles into containers, a container conveyor adapted to present containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, an article intercepting member adapted to be rotated by-articles passing through the discharge outlet, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said container conveyor, a drive gear wheel adapted to be rotated by said article intercepting member, a driven gear wheel having teeth meshing with the teeth of said drive gear wheel, and a switch-closing member carried by said driven gear wheel and movable into a position for closing said switch means to set in operation said container conveyor.

5. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, com- .prising an article conveyor having an outlet for discharging articles into containers, a container conveyor adapted to present containers to be filled at the discharge outlet, counting means mounted adjacent the discharge outlet and having article intercepting means movable to count the number of articles passing therethrough, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said container conveyor, means movable in response to movement of said article intercepting means and adapted to close said switch means when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container being filled, and stop means adapted to prevent movement of said switch-closing means and said counting means after a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container being filled.

6. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having an outlet divided into a plurality of lanes for discharging articles into containers a container conveyor adapted to present containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, an article intercepting member associated with each lane and adapted to be contacted and rotated by articles passing therethrough, a plurality of switch members respectively associated with said article intercepting members, said switch members being connected together in an electric circuit for setting into operation said container conveyor, and means responsive to each of said article intercepting members and adapted to close the associated switch member when a predetermined number of articles have passed through the associated lane.

7. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising means for counting the number of articles filled into each container, means for replacing each container when filled with a container to be filled, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said replacement means, switch actuating means responsive to said counting means and adapted to engage and to thereby close said switch means when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container to be filled, means for shifting said switch means when closed out of engagement with said actuating means, means for opening said switch means after shifting thereof, and means for returning said switch means after opening thereof to a position for engagement by said actuating means.

8. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising means for counting the number of articles filled into each container, means for replacing each container when filled with a container to be filled, switch means adapted when closed to set into operation said replacement .means, switch actuating means responsive to said counting means and adapted to engage and to thereby close said switch means when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container to be filled, means including a solenoid for shifting said switch means when closed out of engagement with said actuating means, means for opening said switch means after shifting thereof, and spring means for returning said switch means after opening thereof to a position for engagement by said actuating means.

9. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising means having a discharge outlet for filling articles into containers, means for presenting containers at the discharge outlet to receive articles therefrom, a first transversely extending fixed shaft mounted above the discharge outlet, at least one counting member carried by said first shaft and adapted to be rotated by articles passing through the discharge outlet, a drive gear wheel on said first shaft associated with each of said counting members, each of said drive gear wheels being rotatable by the associated counting member, a second transversely extending fixed shaft mounted above said first shaft, a driven gear wheel on said second shaft in mesh with each of said drive gear wheels, each of said driven gear wheels being rotatable by the associated drive gear wheel, shaft,

means mounted adjacent said second fixed shaft, a switch member carried by said shaft means corresponding to each of said driven gear wheels, and a switch closing member carried by each of said driven gear wheels, each of said switch closing members being movable by the respective driven gear wheel upon which it is carried into a position for closing the associated switch member, each of said switch members being connected in an electric circuit for setting into operation said container conveyor.

10. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising means for counting the number of articles filled into each container, means for replacing each container when filled with a container to be filled, slidable shaft means adjacent said counting means, switch means mounted on said slidable shaft means, said switch means being adapted when closed to set into operation said replacement means, switch actuating means responsive to said counting means adapted to engage and to thereby close said switch means when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container to be filled, a solenoid mounted on said slidable shaft means, a solenoid plunger mounted to cause shifting of said solenoid when energized, whereby said switch means when closed may be shifted out of engagement with said actuating means, means for opening said switch means after shifting thereof, and spring means for returning said switch means after opening thereof to a position for engagement by said actuating means.

11. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising an article conveyor having a discharge outlet divided into a plurality of lanes, a gear associated with each lane and arranged to be rotated by articles passing through the lane, each of said gears being adapted to rotate through a predetermined angular movement to count a predetermined number of articles passing through the associated lane, and means for stopping the articles, whereby the total count of articles discharged from said conveyor will be the sum of the separate counts of each gear.

12. Apparatus for filling articles into containers, comprising means for counting articles being filled into each container, a switch unit adjustably mounted adjacent said counting means, switch actuating means carried by said counting means and adapted to engage and close the contacts of said switch unit when a predetermined number of articles have passed into a container to be filled, means for shifting said switch unit bodily when said contacts are closed to move said unit out of engagement with said actuating means, means for opening the contacts of said switch unit after shifting thereof, and means for returning said switch unit after said contacts are opened to a position for engagement by said switch actuating means.

13. Apparatus for filling containers comprising a hopper, a plurality of rotatable counting members for counting articles discharged from said hopper, a switch support structure adjacent said counting members and mounted for movement relative to said counting members, a plurality of switches mounted on said support structure for movement therewith, one switch being associated with each counting member, an actuator on each rotatable counting member arranged to engage and actuate the associated switch when a predetermined number of articles have been counted by the counting member, and means for moving said switch support structure relative to said counting members to move said switches out of engagement with the actuators on said rotatable counting members.

14. Apparatus for filling containers comprising a hop per, a plurality of rotatable counting members mounted at the discharge end of said hopper for counting articles discharged from said hopper, a switch support structure slid'ably mounted on said hopper for movement relative to said counting members, a plurality of switches mounted on said support structure for movement therewith, one switch being associated with each counting member, an actuator on each rotatable counting member arranged to engage and actuate the associated switch when a predetermined number of articles have been counted by the counting member, and means for moving said switch support structure to move said switches out of engagement with the actuators on said counting members and including a solenoid operatively connected between said hopper and said switch support structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,737,877 Crosby et al. Dec. 3, 1929 1,770,973 Coy July 22, 1930 1,900,907 Buxton Mar. 14,- 1933 2,204,126 Domke June 14, 1940 2,782,577 Beall Feb. 26, 1957 

